


I Won't Hurt You

by StarkRogers135



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - Veterinarian, Cats, Cold, Cold Weather, Comfort, Hurt Tony, I'm Sorry, Kittens, Locked In, M/M, Protective Steve, Scared Tony, Snow and Ice, Steve Feels, Tony Angst, Tony Come Home, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Trapped, and he's really cold, cat!Tony, no really i am, steve is a vet, steve tries to sooth a scared tony, tony hides behind a dumpster, tony runs away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 12:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/661947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarkRogers135/pseuds/StarkRogers135
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Running hard in the bitter cold, ice and snow getting through his pads and cutting him up, Tony runs from S.H.I.E.L.D. because he was getting locked up like...like an animal. He had to get away when nobody was looking. However, that wasn't the case. Steve knew. Steve wants to help. He truely does...</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Won't Hurt You

Tony had run, tail between legs, away from S.H.I.E.L.D. because they were keeping him penned up in there and he couldn't handle it anymore. It was getting to be far too much. So what did he do? He ran away. At least, he tried. He knew someone, most likely Steve, would be going after him. He wouldn't go back to that place. Not if he would be getting the same treatment again. Hell, just let him live like a _normal_ cat if anything else!

One night, a couple of days after Tony had run away, Steve was out looking for him again - it was snowing, and Steve was wrapped up in his leather coat as he frowned, plodding through puddles and slush as he walked down the street. "Tony?" he called out softly, frowning. "Here, kitty...C'mere, Tony..."

Tony was behind a dumpster in a dark alleyway, shivering. He could see his own breath, too, as he kept his fluffy, jet black tail wrapped around himself tightly. The flaw about himself was that his whole fur color was jet black, and he could be easily seen in the snow. He tensed a little when he heard Steve's voice get closer, flattening his ears to his head, backing up more.

"Toonyy.." he drawled softly, frowning as he walked towards the alleyway, sighing deeply. "Tony, come on...It's freezing out here. Stop being so difficult, please..."

Tony didn't emerge, though the feeling of being warm urged him to run to Steve. Yes, he wanted to be warm. Yes, he wanted to stay with Steve. No, he didn't want to go back to being locked up. Tony knew Steve felt the same way about Tony being locked up. Tony knew Steve wanted to help. Tony knew it. He shivered a little more, legs shaking.

Frowning, Steve walked into the alleyway, stopping near the dumpster where the little cat prints stopped, and he knelt down, shivering just slightly. "...Tony?"

Tony tensed a little more, pressing his belly to the freezing snow that was getting between his black pads. Tony put his head on his paws, watching. Watching the part from where he slid behind the dumpster. Watching anywhere he knew Steve would be able to get to him.

Steve sighed, closing his eyes tiredly for a moment as a large shiver ran through his entire body. Even if he found Tony, he didn't want to take him back to the center where they both had just come from. The S.H.I.E.L.D. job was the only one Steve could get, and even though he strongly disagreed with the sort of testing that was going on inside, his family needed the money. His mom was sick, his sister had just had a baby, and even he had student loans to pay off. Opening his eyes again, he happened to look down, noticing the blood. "Tony?" he tried again, fearful that the cat he'd come to like so much had been hurt. "Shit." Steve dropped to his knees, trying to look under the dumpster.

Tony's heart was racing, his body shaking more from the fear and cold both combined. Tony's eyes went wide with panic. His legs suddenly gave out and he made a sound of surprise when he felt to the freezing snow, whimpering in pure misery. He just wanted to be somewhere warm that _wasn't_ snow. Anything but the snow would be perfect. Maybe cuddle with Steve back at the Tower, but nowhere _near_ that damn facility!

"Oh, thank God," Steve breathed, catching sight of the small black bundle of fur underneath the dumpster. Tony sounded hurt and scared, but the veteranarian knew he could quickly change that. Reaching out a hand, Steve slid it under the dumpster, trying to touch the cat. "Come on out, buddy. I'll take you home, okay?"

Tony knew Steve meant well. He really did. Steve was the kindest person he's ever met. Tony knew Steve wanted to help. He knew it. Tony whined in pain and fear, struggling to his paws before shakily walking out from behind the dumpster. His steps were as if he were taking his first steps ever. It was a little painful to watch. Tony could hardly walk from how cold he was, actually. Once he was out from behind the dumpster, another squeak came out of him as he collapsed again, trembling.

Watching Tony make his way out from the dumpster was possibly one of the most painful things Steve had ever had to watch. He'd grown incredibly fond of the little black cat, taking him out and playing with him when he'd have downtime in the lab, cuddling with him, talking to him as if he were human. In fact, he'd long considered adopting Tony when S.H.I.E.L.D. 'retired' him. Immediately, he moved down to scoop the cat up, holding him close as he tried to share a bit of his own body heat. "What were you thinking, huh?" he chastised, more afraid than actually mad. "You could have _died_ out here."

Tony's only response was a pitiful wail, wrapping his rather fluffy, jet black tail around his small body. Tony was a little small for his age. Normally, a 20 week old kitten would be a little bigger than what Tony was. He shivered pathetically in Steve's arms, licking and biting into his black pads to try and get the ice out, which he managed a little.

Catching the hint, Steve reached down with one hand, gently beginning to scrape away the ice and snow that had gotten buried in between Tony's pads. He began to walk, holding the kitten tightly against him as he did so. "We're going to go back to my house, okay?" he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to the kitten's soft, black fur. "And you're going to stay there. You won't have to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. ever again, promise."

Every time Tony got ice out and blood began to dribble out slowly, Tony licked the blood away quickly, hoping to seal his wounds up with his sandpaper-like tongue, mewling weakly at Steve's comment, still shivering badly. He wasn't that much scared anymore. It was just the cold that was getting to him.

Tony was bleeding, yes, but thankfully not very badly. Steve could easily patch that up when they got back to Steve's apartment complex, the Tower. Luckily he had his keys on him, otherwise they'd have to go back to the testing center first. "Don't scare me like that again, okay?"

Tony simply continued to get the ice out of his back paw, the last one, but this one hurt the much since a piece of ice was pushed in too far. He'd have to have Steve help, but Tony would most likely be a squirming mess while Steve was trying to get it out. Hopefully, Steve would worry about doing that when they got inside and not do it outside.

The kitten in his arms wasn't warming up quickly enough for Steve's liking. He knew how long Tony had been outside for, and also knew that there was a risk of losing the cat to hypothermia or shock. Gently picking Tony up, Steve pulled out the front of his shirt, lowering Tony in and holding him in place, letting him rest in between his warm layers of clothing and his skin.

Tony was confused. Why was he in Steve shirt...? He would never understand the human customs even if he tried. Tony was determined to get the piece of ice out but tiny sounds of pain kept coming out of him, his foot starting to get sore and sensitive to touch. He decided to stop before it got too bad and infected.

"There we go," Steve murmured fondly, placing his hand over where the kitten was in order to provide a little extra warmth. He could feel his skin under Tony growing cold, which meant that, most likely, Tony was getting warm. Hopefully that would do the trick soon. "Feeling better?"

A tiny, shaking mewling sound slipped out of him, suddenly seeing a shiny tag around Steve's neck. Tony purred softly as he batted, or tired to, at Steve's dogtags. The extra movement Tony was giving himself, whether he knew it or not, was actually helping himself get warm a little quicker.

Steve laughed, feeling the kitten start to play with the dog tags inside of his shirt. Tony was feeling playful, then. That was _definitely_ a good sign. "What are you doing down there, huh?" he joked, pulling the neck of his shirt open a little bit and peering down at Tony.

Tony blinked up at Steve, his short purrs starting to get a bit louder and dragged out a little. He was starting to feel a little better. Tony mewled at Steve softly before swinging his small paws about, batting at the shiny things that caught his attention.

Smiling, Steve began to pet Tony through his shirt. Luckily, Steve had been able to spare Tony from the worst of the tests run at S.H.I.E.L.D. with the cats, but still. Tony had been through a lot. There was no way he was bringing him back. "Gonna keep you safe, Tony."

Tony purred warmly, happily. It didn't take long for them to get to the Tower, the two of them settling down in front of the fireplace and Steve trying to get the piece of ice out of Tony's back paw. Of course, Tony was a squirming mess in his lap, wailing in slight pain and protest as he tried to jerk himself away.

"Hold still already!" Steve ordered, though he knew it wasn't going to do any good. His fingers worked, trying to pick out the ice, but Tony was squirming too much. "Please?" he tried.

Tony whimpered, digging his tiny claws into Steve's sweatpants, but they didn't even get close to skin. Tony whined when he felt Steve hold his small body down a little more, keeping him still. Tony's leg trembled a bit as the ice slowly began to move out with Steve's gentle fingers, his whimpers getting a little louder.

"Hey, hey," Steve coaxed the hurting kitten softly. Just seeing the poor thing's face twisted in pain made his heart ache. "It's almost out, Ton. Just bear with me for a couple more seconds..." Steve tried to get the ice dislodged as quick and as painless as possible. A couple seconds later, the piece was out and Steve was petting Tony's furry head. "There." he hummed.

Tony quickly pulled his foot to his face and started to lick at the blood that was slowly beginning to make its way out of his foot. Tony had a purr rumble out of him at the scratching behind his head and ears, eyes closed while he cleaned himself up like he did with his other three pads.

Steve smiled softly and rubbed Tony's belly. "You make it seem painful," he chuckled. "You make this seem as painful as pulling teeth." he murmured, scratching Tony under his chin, the purring getting a little louder.

Tony yawned. Of course. With all this happening in one day, Tony deserved a well-needed cat nap. He curled up in Steve's lap, purring away happily. Tony was right. Steve didn't want to hurt him. Instead, Tony knew all along that Steve wanted to help, but Tony was too scared and hurting to much at the time to see that.

THE END.


End file.
